Technocracy

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

A plan for running North America as an engineering project. It had origin in Thorstein Veblen's distinction between the engineers who actually made the machinery run and the "Captains of Industry" who played with stocks and bonds. After the World War, says Speer (meaning the last World War but one), a group of scientists are said to have surveyed the continent's resources and concluded that every adult in the country could have goods equivalent to $20,000 a year for life by working 4 hours a day, 165 days a year, for 20 years. In addition, food and many basic services would be free. New inventions, despite repressive tactics, are making people more and more productive, and the present Price System, it was declared, was fated to collapse about 1942; when this happened engineers and Technocrats (Technocracy, Inc, had elaborately-numbered study groups all over the place, especially strong in Canada and California) would take over and set up the Technate, according to blueprints which were drawn up in some detail. It was to be governed by a self-perpetuating oligarchy of scientists (much better than messy politics and incompetent voters). Income would be the same for all, social approval or disapproval supplying the stimulus that money gives now. Energy certificates (from which the stfnal "credit" apparently got its inspiration) were to be exchanged for goods by a beautifully worked-out bookkeeping system. Technocracy was prominent among the plans offered to get us out of the Great Depression in '29, and was publicized by Gernsback's managing editor David Lasser. Under the New Deal it was little heard of, but about 1939 made a comeback under Howard Scott. It was taken up by Yerke and Hodgkins of the LASFS, interested Ackerman briefly, but made few converts till the outbreak of war when several Futurians, saying that that events had made internationalism useless for the time being, turned to Technocracy. (They were not welcomed by the Angelenoes.) It is said that Technocracy study groups still exist, but it's been little heard of in fandom for years now.

From Fancyclopedia 2 Supplement, ca. 1960

The "scientific survey" mentioned was a Columbia University project of 1928-29. The movement is not dead, either, but has gone gafia (if we may put it that way) thru circumstances. Study groups still exist and the HQ staff is revising the Technocracy Study Manual. Detroit Fandom met for years in their local Technocrat hall, so the Hyperboreans were imbued with Technocracy for years; but the leading fan proponent of the movement was Henry Elsner. He issued a leading fmz Scientifictionist, wherein he sometimes propagandized for the movement, and wrote uncounted articles for other people. Shortly before gafiating in 1948 he revealed that he had given up on Technocracy; his substitute for politics and fanac was trolly-car fandom.

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944

A plan for running North America as an engineering project. It had origin in Thorstein Veblen's distinction between the captains of industry and the engineers who actually made the machinery run. After the World War, a group of scientists are claimed to have made a survey of the continent's production resources and concluded that every adult in the country could have goods equivalent to $20,000 worth per year for his whole life by working 4 hours a day, 165 days a year, from the age of 25 to 45. In addition to this, many goods and services would be free, including basic food. The present Price System (they eschew stereotyped words like: "Capitalism") is bound to collapse in 1942, because new inventions, despite all repressive tactics by the big men, are making human beings yearly more and more productive. When the Price System collapses, the engineers and Technocrats (Technocracy, Inc. has study groups, elaborately numbered, in all large cities, especially strong in Canada and California) will take over and set up the Technate, according to the blueprints which have already been drawn up. It will be governed by a self-perpetuating oligarchy of scientists (much better than messy politics and incompetent voters). All men will have the same income, social approval or disapproval supplying the stimulus to activity which money now supplies; they will work at what they are best suited for, and exchange energy certificates for goods by a beautifully worked out bookkeeping system. Technocracy was prominent among the plans offered in the last days of the Hoover administration, and was publicized by Gernsback's managing editor, David Lasser (later of the Workers' Alliance). Under the New Deal it virtually disappeared, but about 1939 came back under Howard Scott. Liberals expressed fears that it was being financed and penetrated by fascists or Communists. After first opposing American intervention in the European war (the organization was suppressed in Canada), it shifted to an all-out Continental Defense slogan. Technocracy was reintroduced to the fan world in 1939, about the time Michelism was abandoned, by LASFS fans. Ackerman was interested and looked into it, but didn't take up with it. Yerke and Hodgkins (with Fred Shroyer their most outspoken opponent) plugged it enthusiastically, but due to their personality defects made few converts until the Communazi rapprochement of late '39, when several of the Brooklyn Bolsheviki said that the outbreak of war made internationalism useless for the time being, and turned to Technocracy; they were not welcomed by the Angelenoes, however. When Technocracy, Inc. turned war-minded, Yerke quit them.

Russell Hodgkins' Fapazine Let's Look at the Record in the Fall 1942 FAPA mailing is a pretty good summary of the idea.

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